


A NineTails By Any Other Name

by Aria_Lerendeair



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Cuddle Piles of Kits, Fluff, Foxes, Gabriel Shapeshifting, Kitsunes, M/M, Reference to NineTails, SO MUCH FLUFF, cuteness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-13
Updated: 2016-04-13
Packaged: 2018-06-01 23:21:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6540880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria_Lerendeair/pseuds/Aria_Lerendeair
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam and Gabriel are tracking down a witch that has imprisoned a Kitsune, one of the most powerful ones currently on the planet.  This also includes rescuing her eight kits (and maybe Gabriel cuddling with them regularly), and Gabriel turning himself into a NineTails to set a trap for the witch.  </p><p>And after the day is saved, Sam gets his turn in the kit cuddle-pile.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A NineTails By Any Other Name

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Trustyourdragons](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trustyourdragons/gifts).



> Chiyo (Means “Eternal”)
> 
> Hoshi (Means “Star”)
> 
> Picture of Chiyo (and Gabriel): http://img04.deviantart.net/92b5/i/2013/317/8/6/pokemon__ninetales_by_warpavp2-d4u2d3e.png
> 
> https://badgergirlpod.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/cute-fox-photographs-1.jpg (JUST IMAGINE GABRIEL PILED IN EIGHT OF THESE ADORABLE BABIES, AND SAM TOO, OKAY?)

 

 

Gabriel spun left and dashed through the trees and Sam jumped over a log and followed him.  "Why are we doing this the old fashioned way?" 

 

Gabriel laughed and dodged around another tree.  "Because, some things have to be done the old fashioned way.  Besides, are you afraid you can't keep up?" he panted, swinging around another branch and dashing into the open field the fox was leading them through.  

 

"Fuck off," Sam growled, lengthening his stride.  The fox was dashing, his whole body stretched out and he nearly fell over when the fox changed direction and bolted for the treeline again.  

 

"Gotta be quicker than that Sam!" Gabriel said, swerving after the fox.  He leapt for a moment later and wrapped both of his hands carefully around the small fox, holding it away from him as it thrashed and struggled.  "Hey, hey," he whispered.  "It's okay, it's okay, we promise."  

 

Sam caught up with Gabriel, panting hard.  "Couldn't you just have done that with your Grace and saved us the whole sprint through the woods?" 

 

Gabriel shook his head and kept murmuring quietly to the fox that was now curled in his arms.  "No.  The witch is tracking him, and he was supposed to be delivering a message.  We had to wait until after he delivered it to catch him.  Right?" he asked, looking down at the fox.  

 

"It's weird that you can talk to them," Sam said, crossing his arms over his chest as the fox immediately burrowed into Gabriel's chest again.  

 

"Nah," Gabriel said, slowly petting the kit in his arms.  "He's just a little guy.  In human years he'd be maybe five or six.  He's scared, terrified even.  He knows that I'm not dangerous though."  

 

Sam nodded and blew out a breath.  "Shall we bring him back with the others?"  

 

Gabriel smiled and leaned down to give the fox a small nuzzle.  "Yeah, that's for the best.  I'm sure he's missed them.  The witch only has two or three more, and then the mother."  

 

"You know that she suspects something.  What if she hurts the others?" Sam asked, falling in beside Gabriel as they began the long walk back to the car. 

 

He shook his head.  "She won't. The Mama is too powerful.  She has a binding spell on her, I'd bet money on it.  If one of the kits gets hurt and she knows that the witch did it, she'd be able to slip the spell.  It's contingent on the kits staying safe."  

 

Sam laughed a little as Gabriel made a small crooning noise at the kit in his arms and the fox relaxed a little bit more into them.  "You're a little too good at that, you know?"  

 

"Not the first kid I've held in my arms, won't be the last," Gabriel said, smiling at the sight of the car.  "Come on, we need to get him back with the others.  He's hungry, and I'm pretty sure we still have food for them at home, right?"  

 

Sam nodded and held the door open for Gabriel.  "Yeah, we do.  How many now?"  

 

"You're a terrible parent," Gabriel said with a scowl.  "That makes six, and with maybe two more, you're looking at eight total, plus a very, very angry and powerful momma."  

 

"You'll protect me," Sam said, leaning over to give Gabriel a kiss.  He smiled when the fox poked his nose out and over Gabriel's arms and sniffed at him and made a small noise.  "What did he say?"  

 

Gabriel chuckled and grinned up at Sam.  "He says you're too big."  

 

Sam laughed and turned the car on, heading back for the bunker.  "Welcome to my entire life, where I am too big for everything." 

 

Gabriel laughed and rolled his eyes, and Sam drove them home at top speed.  

 

As soon as they were in the bunker, Gabriel put the kit down and he heard the eager calls of the others.  Gabriel watched as he skidded around the corner and immediately went barreling into the others.  

 

The sight of them jumping all over each other, playing and teasing and nuzzling into each other had him stopping to admire them.  

 

Sam grinned and gave Gabriel a nudge.  "Go curl up and play with them.  I know that you want to, and I'll only take a couple of embarrassing pictures of you covered in foxes."  

 

Gabriel scowled at him, but Sam decided that was worth it when Gabriel walked over to the fox kits and settled down next to them, laying a few feet away so they could decide when to come to him.  

 

Sam headed to the library to grab another book so he could research kitsunes a little further and came back into the main room to find that Gabriel had snapped up a large blanket and all six foxes were curled up on him, or climbing over him in some manner.  "They really do like you," he teased.  

 

"Of course," Gabriel said with a bit of a laugh.  "They like that I can talk to them.  No one else talks to them, because they have a language that is uniquely theirs, until they are old enough to shift."  

 

Sam nodded and watched Gabriel make a small noise through his teeth, the last two of the kits settling down and against his chest.  "Why do I scare them?  Do all humans?"  

 

Gabriel hummed and looked up at Sam.  "It has more to do with their Mom not being here.  If she were here and she approved of you?  Believe me, they'd be all over you."  

 

"So they trust you because it's like you're a fellow kitsune?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.  

 

"Sorta," Gabriel said, reaching out to give the one that they had rescued today a small pet, running his fingers through the soft fur.  "They can also sense that I'm magic, and I've had kids, so that helps." 

 

Sam opened his mouth and stared at Gabriel, but he was a little too busy trying to process that last sentence.  He blinked again and tilted his head, staring at the angel.  "Kids?" he asked, his voice hoarse.  

 

Gabriel blinked and leaned back, looking up at Sam.  "Well, yeah?"  

 

Sam took a second to digest that and thought about the myths he knew of Loki and looked at Gabriel.  "So, Loki..."  

 

Gabriel gave an unrepentant grin.  "Frost Giant's can't really get pregnant with the kids I carried.  Of course, no one really knew better, and I kinda helped fudge the lore to make it work."  

 

"So..." Sam trailed off and looked at Gabriel.  "Pregnant?" 

 

"Only if you want me to be," Gabriel said, making a small cooing noise as one of the kits curled up and into his collarbone.  "As of right now, no."  

 

"Okay," Sam said, letting out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.  "You think I can meet the others first?"  

 

Gabriel grinned at Sam, bright and wide.  "Oh, I'll make you meet Fenrir and Hel first, get the hard ones out of the way."  

 

Sam was completely at war with himself.  On one hand, he absolutely wanted to meet the both of them, because they were Gabriel's kids, but on the other hand, he knew what they _were_.  "Okay?" he said, his voice a little meek.  

 

"Don't worry, Fenrir will play nice.  Probably.  I like you, so they'll behave," Gabriel said, yawning as he settled back down into a pile of pillows.  

 

"What do we do about the others?" Sam asked, getting up from the table.  He stretched out on the edge of the blanket, a few feet from Gabriel and smiled when several pillows appeared around him to let him settle in.  

 

"Well," Gabriel said.  "Since their Mom is the most powerful kitsune currently alive, we be very, very careful.  She couldn't kill me, but she could definitely do some damage if she wanted to."  

 

Sam swallowed hard and raised his eyebrows at Gabriel.  "And you said a witch managed to bind her?"  

 

Gabriel hummed and closed his eyes.  "Yeah.  She's not going to be happy when she gets free.  We won't even have to do anything.  The witch is toast the second we free Momma."  

 

"Will..." Sam hesitated and thought about how he wanted to ask the next question.  

 

"No," Gabriel said, opening one eye to look at Sam.  "They just want to be left alone."  

 

Sam nodded and relaxed into the pillows.  "Okay then.  We'll get them free and get them home."  

 

Gabriel smiled.  "I'll see if I can get one of the adventurous ones to climb on you when they wake up." 

 

Sam grinned and winked at Gabriel.  "Careful, or you're going to get broody and start wanting kids."  

 

Gabriel looked down at the beautiful kits spread out across him.  Too damn late for that, honestly.  

 

~!~  

 

Two weeks, and two more captured kits later, Gabriel knew that the NineTails was getting nervous.  He could feel her energy, striking against the bond the witch had put on her.  It was also causing extreme fluctuations in the weather, and humans were starting to get injured.  They needed to find her, and it needed to happen now.  

 

"Gabriel!" Sam shouted, stepping out into the hurricane-force winds, trying to protect his face from the painful stinging of the rain.  "Gabriel, come inside!"  

 

Gabriel hummed and looked up at the sky.  He took a deep breath and focused, shifting the weather slowly, calming it to a simple rainstorm.  The NineTails was tired, but allowed him to do it without another storm erupting.  

 

Sam lifted his hand and looked up at the sky and then at Gabriel.  "That you?" he called, walking closer to Gabriel.  

 

"Yeah," Gabriel said, taking a deep breath.  He could hear the worried calls of the kits inside the bunker, all of them now curled around Castiel while he was outside.  "We need to find her soon," he said.  

 

"I have a feeling that catching her won't be as easy as it was with the kits, will it?" Sam said, wrapping his arms around Gabriel.  

 

Gabriel shook his head.  "She's scared and worried for her kits.  Not to mention, there's something else that I can't quite put my finger on.  It's not a kit, but it's not another NineTails either.  I'd say it's the Dad, but no, it's a female."  

 

Sam perked up and looked at Gabriel.  "Another Kitsune?"  

 

Gabriel shrugged.  "I'm not entirely sure.  But we'll find out soon enough.  If our witch follows the pattern - the next message sent out will be carried by the NineTails."  

 

Sam blew a slow whistle.  "The witch'll risk that?"  

 

Gabriel gave a dark chuckle and stared up at the sky.  "This witch is old, Sam.  Far, far older than the ones you and Dean have fought.  She could give Castiel trouble in a fight."  

 

Sam blanched and stared at Gabriel.  "What?" 

 

"Right," Gabriel said, nodding.  "Which is the only reason she's been able to bind a NineTails.  It's not easy, even for her, but as long as her kits are safe, the NineTails will obey."  

 

"So what do we do?" Sam asked, looking down at Gabriel in his arms.  

 

Gabriel hummed, pondering the question for a few minutes before his eyes lit up.  "Bait.  We give her bait that she can't refuse."  

 

"And what," Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.  "Is bait that she can't refuse?"  

 

"How about," Gabriel said, stepping away from Sam and shimmering in place for a second.  "Another NineTails?"  

 

Sam reached out for Gabriel just as his image shimmered again and froze, his breath catching.  Gabriel was _beautiful_.  Sam reached out to touch him, but stopped, not sure that it would be allowed.  He swallowed and looked at the nine tails behind Gabriel, each of them moving and shifting.  

 

**'Well, how about them apples?  Been a while since I tried a proper transformation where I actually became the creature, not just an illusion.'**

 

Sam laughed and smiled at the Kitsune in front of him.  The tails made it seem so much bigger than it really was.  It was only about twice the size of a normal fox.  "So I shouldn't ask about Sleipnir?"  

 

**'Nah, I'll save you that particular story for when you are drunk off your ass.  Now, let's go catch ourselves a witch.'**

 

Sam nodded and watched as Gabriel started walking towards the woods.  "How will she know you're here?"  

 

**'She can already feel me.  She'll find us, don't worry,'** Gabriel said, flicking one of his tails and the last of the weather cleared.   **'The Momma NineTails is confused, but she knows what I am, but I'm hoping that she'll help.'**

 

Sam wanted to ask exactly what the help looked like, because he had no idea what was going to happen, but he wasn't about to let Gabriel go in there alone.  Not when the witch had already managed to tie one NineTails to her.  

 

**'You do know that I'm _not_  a NineTails and she couldn't bind me if she tried?' **

 

Sam chuckled when Gabriel flicked his tails in annoyance and got distracted staring at him for a long moment.  "Yes, I do know that, but that doesn't keep me from worrying."  

 

A thunderclap in the woods sounded and Sam looked up at the sky as it started to pour.  His hands tightened on the gun in his hands and he really wished that Dean was here and not on a vampire hunt in Louisiana.  

 

**'Well, this is unexpected.'** Gabriel said, trotting forward.  

 

Sam turned to where Gabriel was leading them, deeper into the forest, where there was a clearing, and the NineTails was waiting for them.  He hung back just enough to make sure that the NineTails focused on Gabriel and kept an eye out on the rest of the field.  He needed to know what was going on to see if there was going to be anything he needed to do to protect Gabriel.  

 

**'The witch is going to try to make her fight me.  She doesn't want to and is struggling against the command.  You need to find the witch.  If we fight, this is going to level the entire forest.'**

 

Sam stared at Gabriel's back and looked around.  There was no one in the clearing, and if the witch could see him from here, he'd already given away his presence.  Gabriel was almost vibrating in front of him as he dropped into a crouch, the other NineTails doing the same.  

 

**'She's nearby.  She can't see us, but I can feel her.  To the south.  More power there.'**

 

He looked at the treeline and he could see the hint of a light in the forest.  Sam turned around and dashed back under the cover of the trees, lightening overhead starting to strike the field.  

 

**'Sam.  Hurry.  The NineTails can't hold back on the command much longer and I'm not sure I can hold her off and protect you at the same time.'**

 

Sam gave up on the idea of stealth and hoped that the storm would protect him as he raced for the light he could see in the forest.  It looked like a bonfire the closer he got.  

 

A blur of white next to him had him skidding to a stop, his knife pulled out in front of him.  Sam stared at the arctic fox, two tails swishing impatiently behind her.  In another second, there was a young woman standing in front of her, probably fifteen or sixteen.  

 

"Are you going to stand there and stare at me, or are you going to help me kill her!  Hurry!"  

 

Sam decided not to ask any questions, because the storm was getting worse and he could see Gabriel and the NineTails circling each other slowly.  When the girl shifted and started running through the woods again, Sam ran after her.  

 

Apparently the Kitsune in front of him didn't have a plan other than run forward and attack, because as soon as they came up to the bonfire, she went straight to the witch, snarling at her.  

 

"Little fool!" The witch crowed, throwing the fox off of her.  "Think you can stop me!"  

 

Sam slid to a stop behind the tree and glanced nervously at the Kitsune and prayed that he was reading the distraction right for what it was.  He caught a tail twitch and turned his attention to the altar that the witch had abandoned.  Spell ingredients were spread out across it, and a ritual already drawn out.  A binding ritual for Gabriel if he had to guess.  

 

But next to it was a staff and Sam could almost see the glow of it.  If the NineTails was bound to anything, it was that staff!  

 

Sam waited for the witch to lunge forward and sprinted for the altar.  The witch saw him, but not before his hand closed around the staff and he plunged it into the bonfire.  He dragged his fingers through the white paint as she slammed him back against a nearby tree and hoped that it had been enough to protect Gabriel.  

 

There was another clap of thunder and then silence.  Sam wrapped his hand around his throat where he could feel the witch choking him and struggled, kicking out weakly at the hold on him.   _Gabriel_...

 

" **Enough** ," A calm voice said.  

 

Sam was dropped to the ground a moment later, sucking in desperate breaths of air.  Gabriel was next to him immediately after, his tails flicking nervously.  He reached out and smiled at Gabriel, petting his back for a second as he coughed hard, trying to get air into his lungs again.  "Took you long enough."  

 

"Mom!"  

 

Sam turned his attention back to the witch and blinked at the sight of the tall dark-skinned woman standing between him and the witch.  She was bare except for a simple black dress, and her back had an intricate tattoo on it.  He blinked again and saw the young girl who'd distracted the witch.  

 

The witch screamed, struggling in place and Sam grinned as he sagged back against the tree.  They'd done it.  The NineTails was free.  "We have your kits," he managed to cough out.  The NineTails' golden eyes swung to him and Sam felt pinned into place.  "They're, they're safe.  Fed.  Warm and protected."  

 

Immediately the force holding him relaxed, and Sam smiled as Gabriel climbed into his lap, knowing that the gesture was a possessive one.  

 

"I am pleased to hear that," the NineTails said, turning her attention back to the witch in front of her.  “Now for you.”

 

Sam blinked and in the space of a second, the NineTails and the witch were gone.  The other Kitsune, the young girl, was walking towards them, a bounce in her step.  “You’re…?”  

 

“Yeah!” She said, grinning wide.  “Pretty good job there human, destroying the object holding my Mom _and_  the spell at the same time.”  

 

‘ **Of course, I only pick the best humans.** ’ Gabriel said, giving her a sniff.  

 

She held out a hand.  “Hoshi.  Pleasure to meet you…?” 

 

Sam managed to shake her hand and give her a smile, glad that Gabriel had already started to heal him.  “Sam Winchester.  And this is-”

 

‘ **The Messenger.  You’d know me as Loki, Hoshi.** ’ Gabriel said with another flick of his tail.  

 

Sam raised an eyebrow when her eyes went wide and she immediately shifted back into a Kitsune, both of her tails flicking behind her.  He was about to ask Gabriel what had just happened when the NineTails appeared in front of him again.  

 

“Hello Sam Winchester.  I am Chiyo.  Thank you for your assistance.  And to you, Messenger,” Chiyo said, inclining her head.  “If you would now take me to my kits?”  

 

“Yeah,” Sam said, pushing himself up and to his feet.  A moment later, there were three Kitsunes at his feet and he smiled, leading the way back to the bunker.  “Gabriel, don’t think you’re getting out of telling me what happened!”  

 

There was a quick nip to his calf and Sam grinned down at Gabriel.  It didn’t take him long to get to the bunker and he opened the door, watching as all three of them raced inside past him.  Gabriel’s pile of blankets on the floor was filled with happy yipping noises.  Sam shut the door behind him and followed them down.  

 

He took his usual seat at the edge of the blanket and pillow pile, but in a moment, all of the kits were on top of him, climbing all over him and exploring.  Sam looked up and grinned when he saw Gabriel, back in his usual vessel, sprawled out on the other side.  “I’m guessing Chiyo gave the okay on me?” 

 

Hoshi nipped at one of his fingers and Sam laughed, reaching out to carefully pet her.  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.  Stupid human here, I don’t know the rules.”  

 

“Speaking of human, Sam Winchester,” Chiyo said, shifting easily into her human form, watching her children climb all over the human.  “I have a request to make of you, and the Messenger.”  

 

Sam raised an eyebrow at her and grinned when one of the kits started attacking the buttons on his flannel.  “Oh?”  

 

“Hoshi,” Chiyo gestured.  “Would like to learn more about humans, and is what you would perhaps call a hunter in training.  She has an expressed a desire to train with you and your brother.”  

 

Sam blinked and looked at the arctic fox currently gnawing on his sleeve.  “You do?”  Hoshi looked up at him and gave a happy yip, bounding forward to sit on his shoulder, dislodging one of her siblings, her tails swishing happily.  He carefully picked up the one she had knocked over and smiled when he immediately curled up in a ball on his hand.  Maybe Gabriel wasn’t the only one getting a little broody.  

 

He jerked his attention back to Chiyo when she cleared her throat.  “Sorry,” he said.  “They’re…” Sam trailed off and shrugged a little.  

 

“I am aware,” Chiyo said with a smile.  “Would you be willing to train Hoshi?  She would be of no bother, she has assured me, and would be willing to help you in any capacity.”  

 

Hoshi curled in closer to his neck and gave a small, pleading whine into his ear.  Sam couldn’t help laughing as he looked up at Chiyo.  “I, I am honored that you would ask.  Our lives are dangerous and I would not want to-” A hard nip to his ear had him wincing.  

 

Chiyo smiled.  “She may look rather young to you, Sam Winchester, but she has been alive since…” she paused and considered, looking to the Messenger.  

 

Gabriel hummed and looked at Hoshi.  “She’s almost five hundred years old in human years.  Give or take.  She was born around the Elizabethan era, to give you a better landmark.”  

 

Sam blinked in shock and looked at Hoshi.  “ _Woah_.”  

 

“She is a trained fighter, and is not without her own magic.  But there are things she wishes to learn that require additional exposure.  You have earned my trust and gratitude, and I would not ask this of you, if I did not trust you,” Chiyo said.  “I will also expect her to give you her protection.”  

 

“Uh,” Sam said elegantly, looking between Chiyo and Gabriel.  “Sure?  How long do you want us to train her for?”  

 

Chiyo smiled.  “I suspect that she will tell you.”  She looked down at the kits and shifted back into her other form.  

 

“Bye kids!” Gabriel said, waving to the kits as they climbed off of Sam and chased after their mother.  

 

Sam watched them disappear a moment later and looked at Hoshi, who was still curled against him.  “Did we just kinda agree to temporarily adopt you?”  

 

A content little yip was the only answer he got and Gabriel was curled up against him too.  Sam laughed and poked Gabriel in the side.  “You are explaining this to Dean.  Not me.”  

 

“I call dibs on the tv!” Hoshi called.  

 

Sam groaned and leaned down to kiss Gabriel.  “I hate you.”  

 

“No you don’t,” Gabriel said with a smirk.  “You like her.”  

 

Sam kissed Gabriel to shut him up.  

 

He still wasn’t going to try to explain this to Dean.  

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Criticisms welcome!
> 
> You can find me here: 
> 
> [Aria-Lerendeair ](http://aria-lerendeair.tumblr.com/)
> 
> You can find the very lovely Abbie here: 
> 
>  
> 
> [Abbie](http://synergysam.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> You can also watch me write fics like this (and dozens of others) live! Follow me on Livestream for fics, shenanigans and a general all-around awesome time! http://new.livestream.com/accounts/7212317


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